Coin-operated machine



P. C. SMiTH COIN OPERATED MACHINE Filfid June 2, 1322 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 04m 7: V2 meme f .1 EDTK Oct. 6,1925- P. C. SMITH COIN OPERATED MACHINE Patented Get. 6, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PERCY 0. SMITH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T JOHN F. MEYER, OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS.

COIN-OPERATED MACHINE.

Application filed June 2,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PERCY C. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Operated Machines, of which, the following is a specification.

This invention relates to coin operated machines and has for one object to introduce an element of chance as to which of a plurality of possible operations will be performed. 1

Another object, of the invention is to provide a coin operated amusement device that will answer selected questions in a way determined by the path of a coin.

Another object of the invention is to permit an assortment of suggested questions to be readily changed for a different assortment. v

Further objects of the invention will become apparent as the description is read in connection with the accompanying draw-- ings showing a selected embodiment of the invention and in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the invention embodied in a fortune telling machine;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the detachable panel carrying the coin operated means;

Fig. 4 is a detail of the plurality of coin passages with the cover removed; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the broken line 55 of Fig. 4.

In the selected embodiment here illustrated indicates a suitable cabinet having a bottom 11 which may be equipped with feet 12 of any suitable material to support it on a counter or the like. Preferably the rear wall 13, the side walls 14 and the top 15 are rigidly and permanently secured together and to the bottom 11. The front wall comprises a frame 16 which has a ledge 17 at the bottom adapted toseat in a groove 18 and at the top I provide a lock 19 having a bolt to extend into a socket 20 for locking the front in the cab- 1922. Serial N0. 565,291.

inet. Within the frame I preferably locate a transparent panel 21 and behind the panel support acard or sheet 22 carrying selected questions or other matter, depending upon the character of the machine, together with the necessary directions for operating the machine. Pivoted in the glass panel 21 is a knob 23 for operating a pointer 24 and moving it over the card or sheet 22 to indicate the question or other matter to be considered. The card is preferably placed in the rear of strips 25 or other devices used for holding the transparent panel in place and is in turn held in place by a removable, rigid panel 26 which is fastened by the clips 27-28 secured in place by the screws 29. The screws 29 pass through slots in the clips and by merely loosening the screws the clips can either be moved to released or engaged position and will permit the rigid panel to be readily moved into and out of place against the card or sheet.

This rigid panel preferably supports all the coin operated mechanism. In the particular device selected for illustration a series of questions are to be answered yes or no dependin upon the particular path of a coin inserted in the slot 30 here shown as located in the upper part of the frame 16. Two plates 3132 carry the words Yes and No and are movable into and out of position behind a window 33 cut in the rigid panel 26 and the sheet or card 22. These intelligence communicating devices are so mounted as to normally assume a position away from the window in which they are in effect silent and are moved by the weight of the coin in passing through a suitable coin chute to a communicating position in line with the window. One simple way of accomplishing this is to support them on levers 34 and 35 which are pivoted on a pintle 36. The levers are equipped on the side opposite to the intelligence plates with pins 37 and 38 adapted to lie in the path of moving coins and to effect the operation of the levers. The slot 30 through which the coin is inserted communicates with the receiving passage 39 here shown as formed in a metal plate 40 secured to the back of the panel 26. The passage 39 communicates at its lower end with two independent passages 41 and 42 separated by the partition 43. The partition however is short, as indicated in Fig; 4, and the passages 41 and 42 join to form the passage 44 which communicates with two inclined chute members 45 and 46 that serve to form a circuitous path for the coin after it has operated one of the levers 34 and 35.

It will be seen that by making the passages 41 and 42 of proper size and shape and locating the pins 37 and 38 so as to extend well into these passages, a coin inserted in the slot will necessarily throw its weight on one of the pins 37 and 38 and raise the corresponding plate 31 or 32 into position behind the window In order to hold the intelligence device in position long enough to permit a customer to read the answer 1 preferably provide each of the levers 34 and with a latch 47 which be engaged by a detent 48 having an arm 49 extending across the path of the latches, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 5. The detent may be in the form of a spring se cured to the panel 26 by a screw 50. This detent will hold the intelligence device in position behind the window until it is freed by the coin at the end of the passage in the chute 46. This is accomplished by pivoting a lever 51 on the back of the panel as at 52 in position for its upper end 53 to engage the detent 48 and for its lower end 54 to lie in the path of the coin as it is discharged from the chute 46. I prefer to provide the discharge chute with the downward passage 55 as shown in Fig. 3 and to bend the lever 54 as indicated at 56 to permit the coin to remain a short time in contact with the lever and thereby assure the release of the detent 48 That portion of the coin chute formed in the plate 40 where the independent passages are is preferably composed of a suitably recessed plate, to the face of which is secured a cover 58 by screws 59. This forms a chute section that can be easily cleared of obstruction without disturbing the operating parts of the machine. As illustrated the cover 58 is equipped with slots 60 corresponding to the path of the pins 3'? and 38 so that by merely removing the screws 59 the cover can be slipped elf the plate 40 and the passages will be easily cleared of any obstruction.

It is a great-advantage to have all the operating parts of the machine mount ed on a removable panel such as shown at 26 which can be replaced quickly in case repairs are needed and which can be easily removed to permit the card or sheet carrying the ques tions or other devices to be replaced by indifferent organization.

By forming the independent passages of the coin chute in a metal plate or a plate of other hard, smooth material, there will he very little likelihood of coins becoming jammed or caught due to wear or roughness on the surface of the passage, and by making the circuitous part of the passage here illustrated by the inclined bars 45 and 46 of wood or similar material; the movement of the coin may be accompanied by practical silence while the intelligence device is being held in the connnunicating position.

In operation the customer selects a question on the face of the sheet 22 and turns the knob 23 until the pointer indicates that question. A coin is then: inserted in the slot 30 and depending upon the way. it is held and the position it is held at the time the operator releases it, it will move through one or the other of the passages 41 and 42 and operate the corresponding lever to answer the question in the aiiirmative or the negative.

I am aware that changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the invention, as set forth in the selected embodiment herein, without departing from the scope or sacrificing any of its material advantages, and I therefore reserve the right to make all such changes as fairly fall within the scope of the following claims.

I claim: i

1. A coin controlled machine comprising a plurality of independent coin passages, a \plurality of levers, intelligence communieating means controlled by said levers, means on each lever projecting into one of said passages whereby each lever may be operated by acoin, each lever being providedwith a latch, and a detent adapted; to engage either of said latches to lock its lever, and means to release said detent from such engagement.

2. A coin controlled machine comprising a plurality of independent coin passages, a plurality of levers, means on each lever projecting into one ofsaid passages whereby each lever may be operated by a coin, each lever being provided with a latch, a detent adapted to engage either of said latches to look its lever, and meansto release said latch after an interval of time.

8. A coin operated machine comprising a pivoted lever, means to operate said lever by a coin, means to engage said lever after said operation to lock it against movement, a chute to receive said coin after it has operated said lever, and means to release said locking means comprising a second lever engaging said locking means and having an extended portion ad aeent the end of said chute to permit continued contact of said coin therewith.

4. A coin operated machine comprising a lever, means, to operate said lever by a coin, a latch on said lever, a detent adapted to engage said latch to hold it in position after said operation, and a releasing means for said detent comprising a second lever adapted to contact With said detent and to be 5 operated by said coin.

5. In a coin operated machine a coin chute having a plurality of coin passages and comprising a base and a removable slotted cover, and coin operated devices having pins projecting into said coin passages through the slots in said cover, whereby said cover may be removed Without disturbing said coin operated devices.

PERCY C. SMITH. 

